One-piece adjustable strap



Jan. 2, 1940. BENQWITZ 2,185,425

ONE-PIECE ADJUSTABLE STRAP Filed April 1, 1935 A kyv AVVA .lhuelafar Maw 19. fienowil'j fly I I "I. a

Patented Jan. 2, 1940 "artist riot;

4 Claims.

This invention relates to improvements in an adjustable strap construction and to the method of making the same. More particularly, this invention is directed to a one-piece adjustable garmerit-strap adapted to be used in connection with trousers, lumber jackets, melton coats, blouses, vests or other wearing apparel for taking up looseness in the garment and making it conform snugly to the wearer.

The adjustable garment-straps almost universally used prior to my invention in the manu facture of wearing apparel were of two-piece construction. The disadvantage of this type of construction is that a multiplicity of operations are required in the manufacturing process which greatly increase the cost of production.

In the two-piece construction, the making of the buckle-strap alone involves four operations, via, cutting the cloth material to size, folding the longitudinal edges inwardly, single cr'double stitching the strap and finally, securing the buckle thereto. The making of the buckle-receiving strap involves even a larger number of operations. The cloth material which is to form the main portion of the strap and the lining therefor must first he cut to size. The two pieces are then placed in juxtaposition and stitched together along their marginal edges with the exception of one end which is left open to permit turning the strap inside out. The strap must then be turned inside out hand and pressed, or stitched around its marginal. edge. An end of each of the two separate straps thus formed is then threaded through respective appropriately positioned seams in the garment to which they are applied and stitched in place. Finally, the free end of the buckle-receiving strap must be threaded through the buckle. It is, therefore, apparent that the manufacture of a two-piece adjustable strap involves considerable cost due to the multiplicity of operations required.

It is an object of this invention to provide a one-piece adjustable garment strap, the manufacture of which involves relatively few operations as compared with the operations necessary to produce a two-piece strap suitable for the same or similar purposes.

Another object of this invention is to provide a single piece adjustable garment strap that has an improved appearance and is economical to manufacture.

A further object of the invention is the provision of a one-piece adjustable garment strap having a construction which affords convenience in adjustment.

Other objects and advantages will appear more fully from the following description taken in connection with the accompanying drawing, in which:

Figure l is a schematic side elevation view showing the method of stitching the lining to a series of cloth strips in a single continuous operation;

Figure 2 is a cross sectional view taken along line 2-2 of Figure 1;

Figure 3 is a side elevation view showing a series of cloth strips stitched by the method illustrated in Figure l to a continuous strip of lining material;

Figure 4 is an edge view of a completed strap;

Figure 5 is an edge view showing the strap of Figure 4 with the buckle in place;

Figure 6 is a plan view showing the adjustable strap with buckle attached, secured to a ment,

Figure 7 18 a sectional view taken along line 2-! of Figure 6;

Figure Sis a sectional view showing a modified form of strap and buckle arrangement; and

Figure 9 shows in section a further modification of a one-piece strap construction.

Referring to the drawing, the reference numeral it; designates a onepiece strap construction comprising a cloth strip l 1 preferably of the same material as thegarment to which the strap is to be attached and which is adapted to be stitched in a manner to be hereinafter fully described to a strip E2 of lining material of somewhat greater length than the cloth strip H. The manner in which the cloth i l is stitched to the lining i2 is schematically illustrated in Figures l and 2.

The table of a sewing machine is represented by line it. The cloth strips H which have been previously cut to rectangular form of the desired length and width, are fed into a folder M which is adapted to fold the longitudinal mar ginal edges E5 of the strip upwardly and inwardly as shown in Figure 2. The lining material l2 may be fed from a reel (not shown) into a similar folder it positioned directly above the folder it. The folder it is adapted to fold the longitudinal marginal edges 8? of the lining material downwardly and then inwardly as shown in Figure 2. Since the folding attachments i4 and i6 and the operations performed thereby are well known in the sewing machine art, it is not deemed necessary, for aclear understanding of the invention, to more fully illustrate or describe the same) As the folded cloth strip H and the lining material l2 emerge from their respective folders, they are stitched together along opposed longitudinal edges simultaneously by a pair of needles l8. The stitching operation is continued through the strip I! and lining l2, to the trailing end of the strip H and from that point on proceeds through the lining a predetermined distance to form a lining extension IQ of predetermined length. At this point, a second cloth strip H is fed through the folder l4 and stitched to the lining I2 in a manner as above described. Thus, by a continuous operation, a series of cloth strips II are folded and stitched in spaced relation to the lining material. A portion of the continuous strip thus produced is shown in Figure 3.

In order to obtain the proper spacing of the cloth strips ll along the lining material 12, a

gage or index (not shown) may be used upon the sewing machine table l3 whereby the lining extensions l9, which are to form the buckle-anchoring members, will all be of uniform length. Following the stitching operation, the lining !2 is cut at points 25!, flush with one end of the several cloth strips ll thereby severing the continuous strip into individual straps Hi.

The lining extension is is then folded back along the main body portion of the strap. The end of the strap ll), including the folded back lining extension i9, is then threaded through a buckle 2! of suitable design having a curved rim and preferably an offset central bar or chape 22 extending across the rim. The lining extension 'I 9 is then folded around the chape 22 and brought forward with its end in registration with the end of the strap ill. The forward transverse member of the buckle rim is preferably provided with several fixed rearwardly extending tongues 23 adapted to engage the cloth strip H in a manner well known in the art.

The strap it, with the buckle 2! attached, may then be secured to a garment as shown in Figures 6 and "I. The stitches of seam 24, which in this instance firmly unite portions 26 and 2'! of the garment, also secure one end of the strap [0 in place. These stitches also pass through both ends of the lining extension 59 so as to form a buckle-anchoring loop. The other end of the strap if! is secured to the garment by the stitches of seam 25 which unite portions 21 andZS.

Adjustment of the strap it, for the purpose of bringing the seams 24 and 25 toward each other, is accomplished by drawing the strap through the buckle to form a loop 29. When the adjustment has been made, releasing the strap will allow the tongues 23 of buckle 2i to engage the cloth strip ll thereby maintaining the adjustment. The strap may again be adjusted to its extended or to an intermediate position by slightly taking up the loop 29 so as to release the strap from engagement with the tongues 23 and then turning the buckle slightly about the chape 22 as an axis so as to hold the tongues out of engagement with the strap, thereby allowing the strap to pass through the buckle to its extended or intermediate position.

Since the strap construction above described, does not have a free end as the straps of twopiece construction, the necessity of a keeper for holding the free end is obviated. A further advantage is that the strap will never become displaced from the buckle which often occurs with straps of the two-piece construction and is a constant source of annoyance to the wearer of the garment.

The modified construction shown in Figure 8 comprises a strap 30 and in this instance the lining material has been eliminated. The buckle 2|, however, may be positioned upon the strap 30 in the same manner as above described. Since no lining is employed, a separate buckle-anchoring loop 3| of suitable material is provided looped about the chape 22.

A further modification of a single piece adjustable strap construction is shown in Figure 9. The arrangement shown in this figure is similar to that shown in Figure 8, with the exception that instead of using a fabric buckle-anchoring loop 3|, apiece of elastic material 33 is employed. One end of the elastic strip 33 may be looped about the chape 22 of the buckle and stitched in place as shown. The use of an elastic buckle-anchoring member 33 to a certain extent, relieves the strain on the buckle strap 32 and also allows the garment to conform more readily to the body of the wearer. The strap constructions, as shown in Figures 8 and 9, in each instance may be secured to appropriately positioned seams of the garment in a manner previously described.

It is apparent that the adjustable strap constructions above described obviate the necessity for making provision for belt-supporting means, as belt loops, upon the garment. The usual belt is not required since the straps, by suitable adjustment, take up the looseness in the garment making it conformv snugly to the body of the wearer thereby maintaining it in the desired position.

Although I have shown and described a particular adjustable strap construction and a specific method of making the same, it is to be understood that the same was for the purpose of illustration and that many changes and modifications may be made by those skilled in the art without departing from the spirit and scope of the appended claims.

I claim:

1. A take-up strap for garments comprising a continuous outer strip and a continuous lining strip extending along the inner face of the outer strip, a buckle having a cross bar intermediate its ends and openings at opposite sides of the cross bar through which the intermediate portion of the strap between its ends is threaded across the outer face of the cross bar, an anchor member forming a continuation of the lining strip beyond the juxtaposed end of the outer strip, and being folded around the cross bar at its intermediate portion and having portions extended from the fold toward one end of the strip, and means for attaching said portions of the anchor member to the garment, and for attaching the opposite ends of the strap fixedly to a garment at spaced points thereon.

2. A garment, a take-up strap therefor comprising a strip attached at spaced points to the garment, a buckle adapted to be threaded upon said-strip and movable therealong intermediate the said spaced points of attachment, and an anchor member secured to said buckle and extending toward one end of the strip and fixedly attached to the garment, said strip being composed of relatively inelastic material and said anchor member being composed of elastic material.

3. As a new article of manufacture, in combination, a garment, a take-up strap therefor comprising a continuous outer strip, and a continuous lining strip applied to the inner face of the outer strip, a buckle having a cross bar intermediate its ends and openings at opposite sides of the cross bar through which the intermediate portion of the strap is threaded across the face of the cross bar, said lining strip being of greater length than the outer strip to thus provide an integral extension beyond the outer strip, which integral extension is folded back upon the outer strip, and then folded laterally away from the outer strip around said cross bar, and thence refolded back upon itself at the side of the first folded portion opposite that having the outer strip contiguous therewith, the said folded portions of the extension of the lining strip providing an anchor member, and attachment means intermediate the ends of the outer claim 3, wherein the garment is provided with a 5 seam and wherein the attachment means between one end of the outer strip, and the said folded portions of the extension of the lining strip comprises stitching common to said parts and connecting the portions of the garment form- 10 ing the seam.

MAX A. BENOWITZ. 

